He added that what happened was the result of “arrogance, exaggerated confidence, and a condescending attitude regarding resolving the conflict in Gaza, especially in dealing with… agitation And its leader Yahya Al-Sanwar“.
The military situation changed after the October War
He pointed out Olmert “The situation now is completely different. Hamas has been destroyed, and thousands of its fighters have been killed by Israeli forces. There is no doubt now that Israeli security capabilities and technology have excelled,” he said.
“What happened in the past few weeks is clear evidence of Israel’s great capabilities, including the highly professional air force and cyber capabilities.”
Comparison between the 2006 war and the current escalation with Hezbollah
Regarding the northern front and the difference between the 2006 war and the current escalation with… HezbollahOlmert said: “What happened in 2006 led to the collapse of Hezbollah. For 17 years, Hezbollah was unable to attack Israel. At that time, Hassan Nasrallah had stated that if he had known 1% of what Israel was going to do, he would not have begun The war in 2006.
He added: “There is a big difference between the two wars. The 2006 war lasted 33 days and the situation was different, but now things have changed. Hezbollah started the war on October 8, after the start of the war in Gaza, and fired hundreds of rockets at northern Israel, which led to the displacement of 80,000.” Israeli: There is a big difference between what is happening now and what happened in 2006.”
The Iranian role in the regional escalation
Olmert also spoke about a role Iran In the continuous escalation, he said: “Iran is behind all the violence that we are witnessing in the region. It supports Hezbollah, the Houthis, and the militias in Syria and Iraq. Last week, Iran launched an attack on Israel using 200 ballistic missiles, even if Israel was not able to intercept those missiles.” A disaster would have befallen us, but we succeeded in intercepting all the missiles, and Iran did not achieve any significant success.”
The calculated Israeli response
Regarding why the Israeli response must be “calculated and measured,” Olmert explained: “Because we are not crazy or reckless like them. We have to act responsibly. We have no interest in provoking the Iranians into all-out war. At the same time, the Israeli response will be painful for Iran.” “It will send a clear message that they cannot continue these attacks.”
He added: “Although we do not want to expand military operations, we must ensure that the Iranians understand that it is in their interest to stop this aggression. If they continue to escalate, they will face not only Israel, but also the United States of America.”
Olmert concluded his speech by saying: “We hope that the Iranians realize that their continued escalation will lead to serious consequences, not only from Israel. The response will be thoughtful and painful, but we do not seek an all-out war. Our goal is to stabilize the region, while ensuring Israel’s security first.”
